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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTBID_2014-10-08_Agenda Packet SPECIAL MEETING ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE ATASCADERO TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT1 AGENDA Wednesday, October 8, 2014 1:45 P.M. Atascadero City Hall 6500 Palma Avenue, Club Room, 4th Floor Atascadero, California CALL TO ORDER: ROLL CALL: Chairperson Jiten Patel, Best Western Plus Colony Inn Vice-Chairperson Amar Sohi, Holiday Inn Express and Suites Board Member Deana Alexander, The Carlton Hotel APPROVAL OF AGENDA: PUBLIC COMMENT: (This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wanting to address the Board on any matter not on this agenda and over which the Board has jurisdiction. Speakers are limited to three minutes. Please state your name for the record before making your presentation. The Board may take action to direct the staff to place a matter of business on a future agenda. A maximum of 30 minutes will be allowed for Public Comment, unless changed by the Board.) OATHS OF OFFICE: 1. Administration of Oaths of Office – New Board Member Linda Hendy will be sworn in by City Clerk Marcia Torgerson. 1 On April 23rd, 2013, the Atascadero City Council Adopted Ordinance No. 568, adding Chapter 16 to Title 3 of the Atascadero Municipal Code, Establishing the Atascadero Tourism Busi ness Improvement District. A. CONSENT CALENDAR: 1. Advisory Board Draft Action Minutes – August 7, 2014  Recommendation: Board approve the Draft Action Minutes of August 7, 2014. [City Manager’s Office] B. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. Interviews of Top Candidates for Public Relations and Marketing  Recommendation: Advisory Board interview the two candidate firms and select one to be recommended to the City Council for the TBID Public Relations & Marketing position. C. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS: D. ADJOURNMENT: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in a Tourism Business Improvement District Meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (805) 470- 3400. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting or time when services are needed will assist the City staff in assuring that reasonable arrangements can be made to provide accessibility to the meeting. ITEM NUMBER: A-1 DATE: 10/08/14 Atascadero TBID August 7, 2014 Page 1 of 3 SPECIAL MEETING ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE ATASCADERO TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT1 DRAFT ACTION MINUTES Thursday, August 7, 2014 3:30 P.M. Atascadero City Hall 6500 Palma Avenue, Conference Room #306 Atascadero, California CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Patel called the meeting to order at 3:50 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Board Members Alexander, Vice Chairperson Sohi, and Chairperson Patel Absent: None Vacancies: Two Staff Present: Deputy City Manager / City Clerk Marcia McClure Torgerson. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: MOTION: By Chairperson Patel and seconded by Board Member Alexander to approve the agenda. Motion passed 3:0 by a roll-call vote. 1 On April 23rd, 2013, the Atascadero City Council Adopted Ordinance No. 568, adding Chapter 16 to Title 3 of the Atascadero Municipal Code, Establishing the Atascadero Tourism Business Improvement District. ITEM NUMBER: A-1 DATE: 10/08/14 Atascadero TBID August 7, 2014 Page 2 of 3 PUBLIC COMMENT: None A. CONSENT CALENDAR: 1. Advisory Board Draft Action Minutes – December 18, 2013  Recommendation: Board approve the Draft Action Minutes of December 18, 2013. [City Manager’s Office] 2. Advisory Board Draft Action Minutes – May 1, 2014  Recommendation: Board approve the Draft Action Minutes of May 1, 2014. [City Manager’s Office] 3. Advisory Board Draft Action Minutes – July 16, 2014  Recommendation: Board approve the Draft Action Minutes of July 16, 2014. [City Manager’s Office] MOTION: By Chairperson Patel and seconded by Vice Chairperson Sohi to approve the Consent Calendar. Motion passed 3:0 by a roll-call vote. B. BUSINESS ITEMS 1. Discussion on Interview Process for Proposal Responses Recommendation: Advisory Board direct staff to set up interview appointments for the four Applicants to the Board’s RFP. Deputy City Manager Torgerson gave the staff report and answered questions from the Board. PUBLIC COMMENT: The following citizens spoke on this item: Chuck Ward Chairperson Patel closed the Public Comment period. MOTION: By Chairperson Patel and seconded by Board Member Alexander to direct City staff to create an interview panel for the proposal responses, recommending the following as possible panel members: Deena Alexander, Jessica Sohi, Pam Lyons, a marketing person from the Carlton, and a member of the Chamber. Motion passed 3:0 by a roll-call vote. ITEM NUMBER: A-1 DATE: 10/08/14 Atascadero TBID August 7, 2014 Page 3 of 3 C. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS: There was Board discussion about the vacancies on the Board and the need to have the City Council appoint replacements. There was Board consensus to support City staff’s decision to request the City Council, at a future Council meeting, appoint two new Board Members to the TBID Board. D. ADJOURNMENT: Chairperson Patel adjourned the meeting at 5:05 p.m. MINUTES PREPARED BY: ______________________________________ Marcia McClure Torgerson, C.M.C. Deputy City Manager / City Clerk ITEM NUMBER: B-1 DATE: 10/08/14 Atascadero Tourism Business Improvement District Advisory Board Interviews of Top Candidates for Public Relations and Marketing RECOMMENDATION: Advisory Board interview the two candidate firms and select one to be recommended to the City Council for the TBID Public Relations & Marketing position. DISCUSSION: In December of 2013, the Board directed Staff to distribute a Request for Proposals (RFP). The submittal deadline was January 31, 2014, and only two Marketing firms responded. Chairperson Patel expressed disappointment with the low response, and asked that the issue be brought to the Board for discussion and possible action . At the Board’s February 19, 2014 meeting Staff confirmed that the Board received only two proposals to their RFP. There was Board consensus to reject the proposals and re - distribute the Request for Proposals with a 90-day time period for submittal. The RFP was re-distributed with a deadline of June 5, 2014. This time, four Marketing firms responded. The Board expressed a desire to interview the applicants themselves and Staff scheduled a Board meeting on July 16, 2014 for the interviews. Chairperson Patel was unable to attend the meeting of July 16th because of a sudden personal issue, creating a lack of a quorum, and causing the meeting to be adjourned. The Board decided at their August 7, 2014 meeting to direct City staff to create an interview panel for the proposal responses, recommending the followin g as possible panel members: Deena Alexander, Jessica Sohi, Pam Lyons, a marketing person from the Carlton, and a member of the Chamber. City staff created a five-member panel who, on September 10, 2014, interviewed the four firms that had responded to t he RFP. They rated each firm using a rating sheet that listed the five evaluation criteria from the RFP: ITEM NUMBER: B-1 DATE: 10/08/14 1. Understanding of the nature of services by City of Atascadero’s TBID Advisory Board. 2. Strategic depth and overall creativity of proposal. 3. Responsiveness to all elements outlined in the request for proposal. 4. Outline of proposed fees for services and expenses within stated budget. 5. Experience and results in performing the services desired by City of Atascadero’s TBID Advisory Board. Each panelist could give a score under each category of no more than 20 points, with the possibility of a perfect score being 100 points. With five panel members rating the presentations, a possible perfect score would be 500. There were two firms that scored very high and close to each other, at 461 and 464. The other firms were in the 300’s and 200’s. Staff felt that since two firms rated very high, the TBID Board should have the opportunity to see their presentations and ask them questions before deciding which firm to recommend to the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT: The RFP listed an estimated overall budget for lodging business strategic marking plan at a range of $50,000 to $75,000 for a 12 month period. This position is budgeted in the Atascadero TBID Fund. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Verdin Proposal 2. Mental Marketing Proposal Proposal for Public Relations and Marketing Group Presented to the City of Atascadero Tourism Business Improvement District Advisory Board June 5, 2014 Mary Verdin President, Verdin 3580 Sacramento Dr. #110 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 verdinmarketing.com Submitted by In short WE ATASCADERO WE LOVE FAMILY TIME AT THE LAKE PARK & ZOO We Love Watching THE COLONY DAYS PARADE WE LOVE DATE NIGHT AT THE GALAXY THEATRES . . . ! 3verdin • a vision for your brand Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Firm Qualifications 4 Scope of Proposal 9 Staffing 13 Budget & Timeline 14 City of Atascadero – Proposal4 VERDIN IS A FULL-SERVICE MARKETING AGENCY THAT EMBRACES A CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PHILOSOPHY, focusing on the “triple bottom line” - balancing the economic, social and environmental aspects of business. Based in San Luis Obispo, Verdin was established in 2003 and has since grown from a one-person company to a national award-winning firm of 14 employees with clients throughout the state of California. Many of our employ- ees take it upon themselves to volunteer for local nonprofit organizations and give back to the community. Our belief in giving back to the community has driven donations of more than $500,000 in marketing services to local nonprof- its over the years. Verdin is also an active member of the Public Relations Society of America and is involved in numerous business and community organizations. Please visit verdinmarketing.com for more information. Marketing & Branding • Strategic Planning/ Marketing Plans • Corporate Identity & Branding • Brand Management • Qualitative & Quantitative Research Public Relations Services • Public Relations Strategies & Campaigns • Press Release & Story Generation • Cause-related Marketing • Management Online Marketing & Web • Search Engine • Mobile Marketing • Social Media, Blogging & Podcasts • Website Content, Design & Development • Ongoing Management Advertising • Creative Development • Traditional & Online Media VERDIN OFFERS FULL-SCALE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES: CLIENT REFERENCES Alan Iftiniuk, President/CEO, French Hospital Medical Center Alan.Iftiniuk@DignityHealth.org, (805) 542-6300 Jill LeMieux, Chair, City of SLO Promotional Coordinating Committee jill.lemieux@charnet.net, (805) 801-1205 Tony Cipolla, PIO, SLO Co. Sheriff’s Office tcipolla@co.slo.ca.us, (805) 781-4547 Kris Beal, Executive Director, Vineyard Team kris@vineyardteam.org, (805) 466-2288 Barbie Butz, Community Volunteer & Advocate, Former Boardmember, SLO County Community Foundation barbiewb@hotmail.com, (805) 461-1234 Firm Qualifications CLIENT: CAYUCOS SEA GLASS FESTIVAL Scope of Work: Verdin created a campaign to promote the fourth annual Cayucos Sea Glass Festival. In less than three months, public relations efforts resulted in an estimated national audience of more than 83 million people and the client Facebook page grew by more than 2,000 likes. Additionally, Cayucos’s vacation rental bookings that weekend increased by 500% compared to the year prior. CLIENT: SLO SYMPHONY MISSIONS TOUR Scope of Work: To promote the San Luis Obispo Symphony’s California Missions Tour concert series, Verdin created a three-month public relations campaign targeting specific areas within California. The campaign resulted in features of the Tour in at least 107 publications and broadcasts networks as well as 359 online publications. Two of the three shows were sold- out events. Note: Verdin is currently working with the Visitor Alliance of Cayucos 5verdin • a vision for your brand CAYUCOS SEA GLASS FESTIVAL SLO SYMPHONY MISSIONS TOUR Firm Qualifications City of Atascadero – Proposal6 Firm Qualifications PUBLIC RELATIONS GET NOTICED WITH VERDIN PR TRUST THE EXPERTS AT VERDIN TO HELP GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT. Whether you need to publicize an event, increase brand awareness, or mitigate a crisis situation or overhaul your entire communications strategy, Verdin’s expert public relations team can deliver results. In today’s noisy, over-saturated media landscape we can get your message heard. We provide individualized comprehensive branding and media relations programs with creative and proactive storyline development as unique as your brand. Our team can get results at the local and national level built from our trusted relationships with members of the media. OUR PR EFFORTS HAVE EARNED US • A 98% run rate of distributed press release topics in targeted media.* • Image Awards from the Public Relations Society of America. • ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation. Contact us today to find out more about what Verdin can do for your brand. *Calculation is based on press release distribution and subsequent media coverage in 2013. • ✔✔Compelling brand storylines ✔✔Creative press release writing ✔✔Targeted and optimized press release distribution ✔✔Traditional media outreach ✔✔Event media coordination ✔✔Ongoing media visibility for mature companies ✔✔Press tours ✔✔Reputation managment and crisis communications ✔✔Guaranteed immediate exposure online ✔✔Media monitoring and reporting PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICES: 7verdin • a vision for your brand Firm Qualifications SOCIAL MEDIA Socialize your brand with Verdin Verdin harneSSeS the power of Social media to help clients reach their specific business goals. Social media marketing encompasses strategic communications and branding efforts to help increase brand awareness, customer loyalty, customer base and sales. By using Verdin’s highly customized and affordable strategic services, companies of all sizes and experience can grow their business. We Will Work With clients at any level to help them reach their goals by using proven social media marketing tactics. Pick and choose from our range social of media marketing services: ✔✔Social media audit ✔✔Competitive analysis ✔✔Custom social media marketing strategies ✔✔Tailored social media content calendars ✔✔Online brand management and monitoring ✔✔Implementation guidelines ✔✔Online video marketing campaigns ✔✔Social account design and development ✔✔Custom Facebook app design and development ✔✔One-on-one consultations ✔✔In-house training a vision for your brand verdinvision.com 689 Tank Farm Rd. Suite 210, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 City of Atascadero – Proposal8Celebrate the suc c e s s es.D is c o ver and de f n e where you are now. BR A N D PROCESS Bring the pl a n t o life.Plan where yo u w a n t to be and how to get there.5 1 23 EXPLORE ENVISION EXECUTE ENJOY VERDIN 360 TM 4Measure performanc e a n d adjust, as n e e d ed.EVALUATE 1 EXPLORE 4 EVALUATE 2 ENVISION 3 EXECUTE 5 ENJOY Research and analysis of the current state of the brand and of competitors. Identification of important benefits which serve as building blocks to the overall brand. Assessment of all internal and external representation of the brand. Inspirational, memorable and crisp idea that captures what the brand should stand for in the target’s heart and mind versus its competition. The unique long-term personality, image or attitude of the brand. Development or refining of positioning statement, mission statement and core values. Implementation of brand elements, transforming the visuals and messaging developed into the external manifestation of the brand. Celebration of small and large successes. Keeping stakeholders and employees engaged and continuing to be Brand Advocates. Ongoing monitoring to metrics and continuous adjustments, as needed, to reach goals. 9verdin • a vision for your brand Scope of Proposal Visitors are looking for authentic experiences... Years of a tough economy has changed how travelers choose their destinations. Even with the recovery, consumer spending and travel decisions are being based more on the intangible experience as well as how consumers are treated. Material consumption and “hot shot” destinations are less important now than the overall experience. Anxi- ety and financial accountability are the top reasons consumers are holding back in spending. Identifying the functional and emotional assets of Atascadero will help us develop the messaging and creative that will compel our target audience to visit, work and live in Atascadero. Functional assets: ✔✔Lake Park ✔✔Zoo ✔✔Wine Industry ✔✔Farmers’ Markets ✔✔Outdoor Activities ✔✔History Emotional assets: ✔Carefree: Relax in the luscious landscape near wine and beach ✔Quaint: Small-town feel in the middle of the Central Coast region of California ✔Friendly: Everyone is welcome ✔Simple: Enjoy life’s simpler pleasures – nature, food, people ✔Untouched: Wide open spaces, beautiful oak-studded rolling hills Atascadero: The Way California Used to Be Reassess the brand and determine more effective and unique positioning than “The Heart of the Central Coast.” Develop a campaign that highlights the authentic experiences that make up Atascadero, from wandering through lavender fields to visiting a beekeeper and buying fresh honey. Enjoy meeting friendly people and return to a way of life that has passed many California communities by. Old time Americana abounds in this Central Coast colony. City of Atascadero – Proposal10 Scope of Proposal RESEARCH Verdin can deliver and incorporate focused travel- and industry-related research into all marketing and advertising efforts for the City of Atascadero. This will be accomplished by reviewing prior research con ducted by the City as well as pulling other existing (secondary) research. We can also commission additional reseach if needed, on the City’s behalf. Upon review of information and databases available through the City, Chamber of Commerce, etc., we will recommend the best approach for gathering input for the City’s efforts moving forward. Verdin has experience conducting and applying results from quantitative research such as online surveys and telephone studies as well as qualitative research including focus groups and intercept surveys. ANALYSIS Verdin’s strategic approach to marketing means that all data will be analyzed and processed through the marketing plan, which will identify key attributes of Atascadero and the surrounding area to promote and also will include a drill down on the specific target audiences and the best channels to reach them. INSIGHT We take a strategic approach to research and will implement it into tangible programs with measurable results. Creating tactics that are effective, and build on each other to reach Atascadero’s key demographics. STRATEGY Addressing Atascadero’s marketing needs starts with identifying goals for the coming fiscal year. Based on information gathered to date, here are the primary goals: 1. Distinguish Atascadero: Show how Atascadero is different from other communities in SLO County. Position to stand out. 2. Increase Lodging Stays: Use digital tools (website, social media, “hunting” ads, etc.) to give easy access to information about Atascadero as a unique vacation spot. Show off the variety of activities available. 3. Target Feeder Markets: Position Atascadero as a choice destination to So. California, No. California and the San Joaquin Valley. Brand the city as one full of authentic experiences with a safe community, full of small- town charm. As noted in the RFP, strategies to reach these goals will include: 1. Leverage existing channels to carry a more effective message about Atascadero to the target audiences. We will assess and evolve all materials that are currently used to promote Atascadero, including the website, social media and advertising. 2. Communicate to key audiences in Southern California, San Joaquin Valley and Northern California a persuasive message that will convince them to visit Atascadero. We will develop a plan that utilizes public relations, social media and advertising to target these geographic audiences, with specific messaging that will attract and engage fans, and increase visitors to Atascadero. 11verdin • a vision for your brand CREATE Using research and experience, we will develop a marketing & PR plan specific to the City of Atascadero to leverage the great things about the community for each target audience. The plan will identify and prioritize key demographics and outline compelling messaging points and the most effective channels for reaching the audience, as well as define metrics that are signed off on by the City as the measures for success. Ongoing evaluation and plan adjustments are included to ensure the plan is flexible and allows for a changing landscape. Verdin will develop creative advertising, public relations and social media messages that tie back to strategy and support the Atascadero brand. Some materials are noted in the draft objectives and tactics listed below. EXECUTE All objectives will be measurable, with clear output and outcomes noted. Initial objectives to explore are included below. Note that we will fully develop the target audiences, strategies, objectives and tactics using new research, a review of all existing materials and efforts and input from key stakeholders. Metrics will be agreed upon with client, but will likely include goals for website traffic, social media impressions and engagement, anecdotal and tangible revenue feedback from businesses and event presenters, and increases in TOT and sales tax revenue. OBJECTIVE 1: Assess and refne the Atascadero brand by November 2014. Tactics: 1. Review all research and conduct any additional research needed. Research should include conversations with key stakeholders, including city council, city staff, hospitality representatives, and community leaders. 2. Build a brand map around existing Atascadero logo, identifying attributes and key messages for use in promoting the city as a desirable place to visit. 3. Conduct an image analysis on all materials that represent the city, from websites and social media places to collateral materials and signage. 4. Develop a list of possible promotions that leverage Atascadero’s brand strengths for consideration in advertising and public relations/social media efforts. OBJECTIVE 2: Create a more user-friendly online experience for visitors so they can easily fnd things to do in Atascadero by January 2015. Tactics: 1. Assess VisitAtascadero.com website and reconfigure navigation of the desktop and mobile sites based on user behavior. Review existing Google Analytics or set up immediately to monitor traffic and patterns. 2. Assess all content and update using keywords, multimedia and page tags to provide better information as well as optimizing the sites. 3. Assess and envolve social media pages to more effectively attract and engage fans. Scope of Proposal City of Atascadero – Proposal12 OBJECTIVE 3: Implement an advertising campaign by January 2015 to carry key messages to targeted audience in shoulder and peak seasons. Tactics: 1. Create a master schedule of all events and activities in the area and diagram cycles of lodging to support potential times for increasing visitors and create new opportunities to attract visitors. 2. Identify messaging by target audience and geographic area. 3. Layout integrated plan combining print, broadcast, online and social media advertising for the most effective campaign, ensuring reach and frequency needed to create action. 4. Explore SLOCVCB co-op advertising opportunities and provide recommendations on what should be included in overall plan. 5. Evaluate results monthly and adjust to take advantage of advertising messages and channels that are showing the best results. OBJECTIVE 4: Implement a public relations/earned media plan by January 2015. Tactics: 1. Create an earned media calendar based on seasonal happenings in Atascadero and assign short-lead and long- lead publication deadlines. 2. Utilize proprietary PR software subscription to build qualified media lists for reaching out to journalists on a variety of topics, as defined by calendar, above. 3. Optimize and distribute all press releases using PR Web to extend the reach and life of each release. Publish all releases on the designated website, providing changing, searchable content to potential visitors, businesses and residents. 4. Assess trade show opportunities and provide recommendations on which should have an Atascadero presence. Collaborate with the SLOCVCB to combine efforts and avoid duplication. 5. Work with the SLOCVCB and county BIDs to provide a united county presence to journalists when appropriate. Scope of Proposal 13verdin • a vision for your brand Staffing Mary Verdin, President & Chief Strategy Officer Mary has more than 22 years of communications, marketing and public relations experience. This includes planning and implementation of advertising and PR plans, public information programs, and marketing strategies. She is known as someone who can get things done; a problem solver who enjoys moving projects forward and achieving results. Mary has also served on over 20 boards and committees to support the community. Ashlee Akers, VP/ Client Services Ashlee brings years of account service and media experience and extensive training in client relationships to her clients at Verdin. She focuses on problem solving, analyzing client needs and executing complete solutions with attention to every detail. Ashlee’s creative solutions meet clients’ expectations and push beyond their goals. Stephanie Musso, PR & Marketing Specialist Stephanie brings added public relations expertise to the Verdin team with over eight years of media, marketing and public relations under her belt. She moved here from New York City in 2011 and displays an unyielding work ethic and loyal dedication to her clients. Her passion for building client relationships is matched by her enthusiasm for crafting compelling brand messaging. Christiana Newcomb, Account Coordinator Christiana is a recent Cal Poly marketing graduate. A San Diego native, she grew up as the daugh- ter of a small business owner and quickly developed an interest in the process of company management and marketing. In her free time you might catch her singing in downtown coffee shops, racing triathlon, or fast asleep with her head in a book. Whitney Diaz, Digital Brand Strategist Whitney is detail-oriented, ambitious and disciplined – traits that help her proactively accomplish goals through hard work and planning. With a strong background in communi- cations and multimedia journalism, she works to understand clients’ needs before creating and implementing tailored social media and public relations strategies for them. Megan Rivoire, Creative Strategist Megan is a firecracker. Her high-energy and passion for perfection helps her breathe life into any project. She assists on all aspects of Verdin’s client services and shepherds projects to make sure they’re done on time and with a high standard of quality. Like Mary, Megan is a volunteer at heart. Megan Condict, Senior Designer As senior designer, Megan Condict strives to create lasting, quality work with our clients’ best interests in mind. She leads the design team with expertise and is constantly working to enhance our design standards. With a love of producing powerful product packaging, she knows great design is often the last chance to grab a customer’s attention before a purchase. Lisa Campolmi, Media/Marketing Specialist Spunky and energetic, Lisa dons two hats here: She’s a media buyer and an account manager. In both roles, she builds tailored solutions to meet all of our clients’ marketing and advertising needs. Life’s twists and turns led her to advertising, where she has built a solid reputation for getting the job done and maintaining strong integrity. City of Atascadero – Proposal14 Program Element SEPT 2014–AUG 2015 Account Management $10,000 Marketing Plan Development/Updates $10,000 Creative Development $7,500 Website Development/Updates $5,000–$10,000 Advertising $20,000–$24,500 Public Relations $6,000–$8,000 Social Media $12,000–$15,000 Total:$75,000* Budget & Timeline ADMINISTRATION Monthly progress reports and ongoing evaluation of all marketing efforts as they directly correlate to defined metrics will be provided to the City as needed for regular meetings. Verdin will be monitoring all efforts on an ongoing basis, and will be able to discuss real-time results at any time. BUDGET TIMELINE SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG Timeline to be confirmed upon determination of scope of work and approved process. Jan: Launch advertising and PR campaign Nov: Marketing Plan development Dec: Creative development Sept–Oct: Research, Brand Assessment Feb-Aug: Ongoing evaluation Feb-Aug: Ongoing marketing *Verdin will manage ranges above so that total budget will not exceed $75,000. As the plan is solidified, exact budgets can be allocated. a vision for your brand © 2014 verdin QUALIFICATIONS EXAMPLES TEAM ASSIGNMENT BUDGET TOURISM BID JUNE 5, 2014 mark@mentalmarketing.com bill@mentalmarketing.com john@tjaadvertising.com CITY OF ATASCADEROPR & MARKETING GROUP 2 QUALIFICATIONS EXAMPLES TEAM ASSIGNMENT BUDGET Why Mental Marketing & TJA Advertising? | PAGE 3 Relevent Client Programs, References | PAGE 4 Culture and Team | PAGE 8 Brand Intention, Deliverables, Social, Promotions, Outreach | PAGE 10 Marketing Plan | PAGE 15 TABLE OF CONTENTS 33 We only work with clients we believe in. From that perspective, our approach to brand development begins with the passion and conviction needed to become effective brand stewards. WE KNOW TOURISM MARKETING During this dynamic tourism environment, with more inventory moving into the market, we believe now this is the right time for the City Tourism Business Improvement District to leverage the Visit Atascadero strategy and toolkit already in place. Mental Marketing and TJA Advertising (MM/TJA) would be instrumental in executing synchronized, unduplicated marketing communications to drive heads in beds. Our experience in both destination and hospitality marketing provides the TBID the insight and strategy to find, engage, and convert visitors throughout their decision making process. Our clients include cities, regions, tourism districts, business improvement districts, destination marketing organizations, attractions and artisanal products. We combined our agencies three years ago to deliver a complete skillset that has proven to efficiently conceptualize, create and manage all aspects of destination marketing. While we are two firms, we operate effectively as one core agency that offers the TBID: • The most experience in all aspects of destination marketing • The most proven track record of success for all phases of program development and execution • The most high-touch, local service • The greatest ability to effectively collaborate with key tourism partners • The most efficient integration with citywide tourism marketing efforts WHY MENTAL MARKETING& TJA ADVERTISING? In addition to City of Atascadero, we manage the brand evolution, public relations and marketing functions for the 10 destination County CBID (WineCoastCountry.com). We also conceptualized, developed and implemented successful, award-winning co-op programs together for Visit SLO County. We launched and orchestrated the strategy and execution of Paso Robles Tourism Business Improvement District (travelpaso.com) and have handled Pismo Beach Tourism for more than 15 years. By selecting MM/TJA as your core marketing firm, the TBID will benefit from our ability to connect existing and planned programs throughout the County, North County, Central Coast and the State of California to stretch your marketing investment and achieve better results. WE PUT HEADS IN BEDS From our vast experience working with hospitality and destination industries, we know the most important deliverable of all is rooms booked and raising RevPAR. Our team created the strategic marketing plan for Visit Atascadero – The Heart of the Central Coast brand – with the intention to augment City promotions with increased digital content marketing devoted to stimulating incremental stays. For Visit Atascadero, we have delivered more than 1800 website referrals to Atascadero lodging operators as well as a substantial increase in TOT. We have set the stage for an efficient, robust integrated destination marketing program for Visit Atascadero. For the City of Paso Robles, we developed the first annual ‘Hotel Month’ program that continually drives direct bookings. The annualized programs have delivered Paso Robles more than a 14% TOT increase through October 2013 and an average of 8.2% the past three years. QUALIFICATIONS 4 EXPERIENCE AND EXAMPLES: Atascadero EXAMPLES41 46 W 46 E 58 101 101San Simeon Cambria Paso Robles Morro Bay □ Hearst Castle SLOAirport Avila Beach San Luis Obispo Pismo Beach N San Francisco Los Angeles Open 7 days a week Adults 12 & over - $7.00 Children 3 to 11 - $5.00 Seniors 65 & over - $6.00 Children 2 & under - FREE To San Francisco – 4 Hours Paso Robles Wine Region – 10 minutes To Los Angeles – 4 Hours San Luis Obispo – 20 minutes Santa Margarita Lake – 20 minutes Edna Valley Wine Region – 25 minutes Hearst Castle/San Simeon - 45 minutes Cambria – 40 minutes Cayucos – 25 minutes Morro Bay – 15 minutes Pismo Beach – 30 minutes To plan your Central Coast visit and become eligible for exclusive travel offers, please go to: VisitAtascadero.com. (888) 55.VISIT 6904 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA 93422 From well-known names to privately owned hotels, you’ll find just the right place at just the right price in Atascadero. The variety of lodg- ing options make this a fantastic destination for families, couples, group getaways and business travel. For information on Atascadero go to VisitAtascadero.com or call (888) 55-VISIT. For the latest news on the area visit our Atascadero Travel blog, join us on Facebook facebook.com/visitatascadero and follow us on Twitter. Photos by: Hearst Castle is a registered trademark of Hearst Castle® / California State Parks. All Rights Reserved. VisitAtascadero.com. (888) 55.VISIT VisitAtascadero.com (888) 55.VISIT After a massive restoration effort, the spectacular Historic Atascadero City Hall located downtown is now open for visitors to tour the architecture and museum exhibit of Atascadero’s fascinating roots on docent led tours offered by the Atascadero Historical Society. More information on days and times can be found at VisitAtasccadero.com From luxurious Inns to leading brand hotels, reliable budget and specialty accommodations, VisitAtascadero offers value and a variety of accommodations, along with exclusive packages and getaway offers. Whether if’s a cozy café or full meal paired with local wine your after, Atascadero has over 60 restaurants that take your gastronomic experience seriously. Expect fresh local ingredients served up with warm hospitality when you dine in Atascadero. Go to VisitAtascadero.com for lodging specials, packages and getaway giveaways. Historic City Hall Stay Savor Photo: Dennis Swanson, Studio 101 WestPhoto: Dennis Swanson, Studio 101 West805-461-5080 charlespaddockzoo.org 9100 Morro Road, Atascadero, CA 93422 Charles Paddock Zoo Observe more than 200 animals up close in their naturalistic habitats at the Charles Paddock Zoo, situated on five park-like acres within the beautiful Atascadero Lake Park. As one of only 220 accredited zoos and aquariums in North America, the Charles Paddock Zoo is a unique facility devoted to wildlife conservation, education and research. Participate in special events that are always happening at the Zoo, including camps, educational programs, Animal Olympics, Ice cream Zoofaris and more. There is something fun waiting for everyone, of every age, at the Charles Paddock Zoo.Photo: Valerie McGillAtasc_1936-13_Brochure_v7.indd 1 9/11/13 5:01 PM VISIT ATASCADERO Last year, the City hired Mental Marketing and TJA to conduct destination research, create a destination brand marketing strategy and create a scalable, mobile-optimized web brand. With a positioning as an affordable, convenient access to the finest wine tasting regions on the central coast, and geographic relationship to Northern and Southern California, we created a strategy for Visit Atascadero – The Heart of the Central Coast. We are currently executing shoulder season content marketing, thematic multi-media campaigns and integrated event, retail and hospitality promotions. The entire brand marketing effort is ready to be bolstered by TBID resources to generate incremental publicity, lodging packaging and promotions. [ RESULTS ] We are currently executing shoulder season content marketing, thematic multi-media campaigns and integrated event, retail and hospitality promotions. Results to date include 1500 email subscribers, website increase of 55%, 1700 lodging referrals and substantial TOT gains. 5 EXAMPLESEXPERIENCE AND EXAMPLES: Travel Paso Robles Alliance Eat, Sip, See, Stay, Meet & Play in Paso Robles! Paso Robles, CA TravelPaso.com Wine and Hearst Castle Country insider’s Travel Guide [ RESULTS ] Since its inception, campaign response, events, group sales, website traffic, media awareness, occupancy and lodging revenues have increased significantly. The 2012 -2013 marketing efforts delivered: • 727.9 million earned public relations media impressions equaling 4.6 million in ad equivalency, and 13.8 million in publicity value • 131,601 unique website visits up 28% year over year TRAVEL PASO ROBLES ALLIANCE: TURNKEY MARKETING AND PR In 2008 the Travel Paso Robles Alliance (TPRA) and the City of Paso Robles selected Mental Marketing to assess member and destination visitation profiles and brand attributes, create a strategic marketing plan, launch the city brand adopted by TPRA and manage all aspects of creative, advertising, media buying, public relations, social media strategy, and event marketing. 6 EXAMPLESEXPERIENCE AND EXAMPLES: WineCoastCountry 227 41 227 46 101 101 101 Explore California’s Wine Coast Country Customize Your Vacation DiscoveryRoute 10 Destinations, 1 Fantastic Vacation Ragged Point San Simeon Cambria Cayucos Los Osos/Baywood Park Oceano Dunes SVRA □ Montaña De Oro □ State Park San Simeon Cove □ Central Coast Aquarium □Bob Jones Trail □ Avila Hot Springs □ Port San Luis □ Pismo Beach Pier □ Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove □ The Livery Stable □ Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area □ □ Avila Valley Barn Black Lake Golf Resort □ Edna Valley Vineyard □ Saucelito CanyonVineyards□ □ Laetitia Winery □ Claiborne and Churchill Vintners □ Kynsi Winery □ Chamisal Vineyard □ MonarchDunes Golf Club □ Tolosa Vinyards Morro Rock □ Abalone Farm □ Moonstone Beach □ Cambria Village □ Fiscalini Ranch □ Reserve Estero Bluffs State Park □ Morro Strand □ State Beach □CayucosState Beach and Pier Coastal Discovery Center □ Leffingwell Landing □ □ Hearst Castle □ Sebastian’s General Store □ Nit Wit Ridge MAIN STLO S O S O S V A L L E Y R D PRICE CANYON RDAVILA BE A C H D R SAN L UIS B A Y D R LOS BERROS R D LOPEZ DRI V E PO M E R O Y R D ORC U T T R D WILLOW RD OSO FLAC O L A K E R DHEARST CASTLE RDSOUTH BAY BLVD □ Museum of Natural History □ Los Osos Elfin Forest Preserve Morro Bay National Estuary □ Morro Dunes Natural Preserve □ Harmony ● Paso Robles ● Morro Bay ● Elephant Seal □ Rookery □ Million Dollar View Avila Beach Edna Valley Oceano Arroyo Grande Valley Nipomo Piedra Blancas Light Station □ Laid-back beach towns, pristine landscapes and wine aplenty make for the ultimate road trip through California’s San Luis Obispo County. San Luis Obispo County □ Los Angeles □ San Francisco Hiking Biking Wine & Beer Tasting ATV Access Historic/Museums Golf Stewardship Travel Scan this code for fantastic lodging options: VISIT WineCoastCountry.com/Stay BY USING OUR Where to find sage local advice? Visit WineCoastCountry.com for specialized itineraries focusing on your interests: family activities, farm touring, history, romance, wine tasting, beaches, dining and outdoor adventures. The site also includes a complete list of vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, hotels, motels, local events and Stewardship Travel activities and donation opportunities.Atascadero● Nipomo Oceano Avila Beach Arroyo GrandeValley Edna Valley Los Osos BaywoodPark Cayucos Cambria San Simeon Ragged Point MorroBay* 1 227 227 101 101 San Francisco Los Angeles 10 Destinations, 1 Fantastic Vacation Visit WineCoastCountry.com to plan your Discovery Route adventures Connect to Something Fantastic The Highway 1 Discovery Route connects 101 miles of California’s central coastline, offering travelers a variety of fantastic vacation adventures to suit every budget and lifestyle. From historic attractions, sunset beach towns, and nature walks, to award-wining dining, wine tasting and lodging options, Wine Coast Country’s Highway 1 Discovery Route showcases 10 unique towns that make 1 fantastic vacation. Connect to something fantastic in Wine Coast Country. SLO COUNTY TOURISM BID: WINECOASTCOUNTRY.COM In Spring of 2012, the SLO Unincorporated County BID engaged MM/TJA to evolve the 10 destination brand and deliver compelling digital marketing campaigns that would attract more visitors to 500 vacation rentals, b&b’s, hotels and motels mid-week and shoulder season. The turnkey effort includes creating a 101 mile discovery route, seasonal promotions, an innovative Stewardship Traveler program and a first-ever Coastal Discovery Month this February. Through targeted social media engagement, print and digital media reaching core market of empty nesters in Northern & Southern California and Central Valley, the program is exceeding expectations. [ RESULTS ] The award-winning effort has generated more than 800 million targeted impressions. The website generates approximately 15,000 unique visitors per month with dramatic increase from search. 10,000 new signed-ups for the sweepstakes and for the ongoing newsletter. Facebook fans have grown from 4,000 to more than 35,000. Year over Year TOT growth in the unincorporated regions of WineCoastCountry are surpassing most cities of the county. The website traffic is up 22%. Audience engagement is up 200%. 7 “Mental Marketing created my company brand and marketing plan for my start-up four years ago. They are strategic, creative, responsive and prudent with the budget. I always recommend this team!” — Michele Roest, Science and Environmental Education Development (SEED) www.sciencecurric.org CLIENTREFERENCES Suzan Brazile Executive Director Pismo Beach CVB 805.773.7034 sbrazile@pismobeach.com Cheryl Cuming Chief Administrative Officer San Luis Obispo County Business Improvement District 805.471.0182 admin@slocountybid.com Meg Williamson Assistant City Manager City of Paso Robles 805.237.3888 mwilliamson@prcity.com Michele Roest President Science and Environmental Educational Development 805.239.1466 michele.roest@sciencecurric.org EXAMPLES 88 CORPORATE CULTURE The core marketing firm manages a multi- regional, multi-disciplined team of experts to handle all aspects of program, including our publicity affiliates assigned in: Northern California, Southern California, East Coast, Europe and Asia. Leading the team and interacting with you directly, will be the agency principles to ensure the highest level of strategic involvement and client service. MARK ELTERMAN Account Supervisor Mark Elterman is CEO and co-founder of Mental Marketing. He offers 20 years of agency experience in the areas of branding, advertising campaign development, custom content marketing, relationship marketing, database marketing and results analysis. Mark will be jointly responsible for delivering an approved comprehensive plan, budget and client service team assignments. He will work directly with your board to ensure client service standards throughout the constituency are exceptional. Mark has served as lead strategist of custom content and loyalty programs for such clients as Travel Paso Robles Alliance, WineCoastCountry, Amtrak, We Olive, Norcast Telecom Networks, 24Hour Fitness, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Glaxo SmithKline, CHASE, Master- Card, USAA, The Friends of Hearst Castle, and many others. He has also served as content marketing consultant for such clients as American Express Publishing and Readers’Digest Association. JOHN SORGENFREI Advertising Supervisor John Sorgenfrei is the owner and president of TJA Advertising, Inc. He has been with the agency for nearly 18 years. John will supervise the advertising planning and placement. For more than 30 years, John has excelled in the media advertising industry. After earning a degree from USC, John spent several years in the advertising industry in Los Angeles where he implemented national recruitment, business-to-business, and consumer media and advertising campaigns. His clients were well-known brands including Ford, Beckman Instruments, Litton Industries, Johnson & Johnson, Bank of America, Asics Corporation, and the U.S. Navy. John expanded his broadcast media knowledge in television and cable advertising sales with Paragon Cable in Southern California and CBS affiliate KCOY. At TJA, John supervises tourism advertising for Pismo Beach and Avila Beach. Past and present clients include Charter Communications, Jenny Craig, Longs Drug Stores (25 locations), Morro Bay, Chevrolet Dealers Associations, the State of California’s Area Agency on Aging, and HICAP for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. John has served on the Board of Directors for the Avila Marine Institute, San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Chair of the Pismo Beach Planning Commission and the Avila Business Association. John is also the publisher of his own local newspaper, the Avila Community News. WHO WE ARE WHO WE ARE 9 WILLIAM STANSFIELD, JR. Account Creative Development Bill Stansfield is a principal and co-founder of Mental Marketing. Clients draw upon his 25 years of experience in conceptualizing new brands, inventing brand extensions, as well as managing regional and national award-winning brand revitalization campaigns. He will be responsible for internal operational account aspects and partner creative services management. Over the past two decades, he has managed numerous agency creative and interactive teams for such clients as Travel Paso Robles Alliance, Friends of Hearst Castle, Electronic Arts, Wal-mart, Best Buy, Kmart, Dove, Specialized Bicycles, Sun Computers, Chevron, Sears, Nissan, Circuit City, Johnson & Johnson, Safeway, Rayovac, Doritos, Oreo, Chevrolet, 3M, Coca-cola, Dove, Colgate, Kodak, Polaroid, Gillette, Energizer Batteries, Ocean Spray, Sony Playstation, Nintendo, Footaction, Nestle and many others. Bill has an in-depth background in product launches and positioning, branding environments, strategic development and e-commerce strategy. Bill is a native of San Luis Obispo County, a graduate of San Luis Obispo High School and Cal Poly, earning a degree in Graphic Communications, and a founding member of the San Luis Obispo Creative and Marketing Alliance (SLOCAMA). SUSAN HARTZLER Public Relations Account Executive Susan Hartzler is a Public Relations Executive at Mental Marketing working an VisitAtascadero and other tourism clients to generate feature travel stories and writing travel blogs. Susan has been working in the public relations industry for more than 25 years now with a full grasp on traditional media placement and social media marketing and excellent media contacts to make stories happen. Over the years, her clients have enjoyed media exposure on 60 Minutes, CNN, The Today Show, Associated Press, The Los Angeles Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure Magazine, Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine and more. She knows how to get the right information regarding her clients into blogs that will have social media abuzz. Former clients include: Post Ranch Inn, Pebble Beach, The City of Carmel, CA, The State of South Australia, Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort, Renaissance Hollywood, Renaissance Esmeralda, Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa, and many more. Susan is also an award- winning writer who is published in several books and writes her own blog, www.travelswithbliss.blogspot. com, focusing on adventures with her amazingly talented Australian Shepherd, Bliss. SARAH LESLIE Account Manager Sarah coordinates all facets of program logistics including getaway promotions, journalists hosting, scheduling and reporting. She currently manages the promotions for Visit Atascadero- enabling her to provide the TBID timely, efficient coordination. Sarah Leslie brings over 15 years of marketing and brand building experience to her role of Account Manager with Mental Marketing. Sarah has worked with national and regional brands such as Dairy Queen, Buca di Beppo and Karl Strauss Brewing Company. She prides herself on being an avid brand steward and constantly works to build that emotional connection between consumers and the brand. Working within the food and beverage category Sarah has repre- sented both corporate and franchise systems and offers clients a strong strategic planning capability. Originally from the Midwest, Sarah moved to the Central Coast from Los Angeles and is thrilled to call Paso Robles her home. When not working Sarah can be found wine tasting with her husband, planning her next travel adventure or at home with her two puppies, Frisco and Atticus. RICK TURTON Webmaster Since 1994, Rick has provided strategic web design and maintenance in the travel and tourism market. During this time created and maintained over 500 hotel websites for District Co-ops of Best Western International. Rick was an early pioneer in virtual tours of hotel properties making over 1200 virtual tours for Best Western. He has consulted for Best Western on ROI of hotel websites which includes tracking ROI for various hotel, Lodging BIDs, & tourism websites. MM/ TJA work with Rick to drive traffic to lodging websites via extensive use of Google Analytics directing organic search and industry best practices of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and content marketing. KACI KNIGHTON Social Media Director Kaci learned her skills at Cal Poly State University with a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Administration. She is now the social media director at TJA and her responsibilities include updating and expanding social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube for our clients. By analyzing social media insights, she is able to maximize the digital content programs for Visit Atascadero that builds reach, quality, response and conversion. In addition to Visit Atascadero social media, Kaci handles Pismo Beach, WineCoastCountry.com, MorroBay.org.TEAM 10 ASSIGNMENT MM/TJA will partner with the City of Atascadero Tourism Business Improvement District to strategize, create and execute an integrated tourism marketing communications program that drives the organization’s outreach efforts through digital content marketing resulting in increased lodging reservations and raised RevPAR. MM/TJA will provide the account team, experience, tools and daily management to prepare a final marketing plan that accomplishes the distinct goals and objectives of the hospitality membership. The final approved program may involve a number of marketing services and disciplines we provide, including: • Account Management • Destination Brand Evolution • Media Planning, Purchasing, Evaluation • Public Relations Plan Research, Planning and Implementation • Promotional & Events Strategies • Member Constituent (internal) Communications • Partner Communications • Destination Website Enhancements • Booking Engine and OTA Strategy • Program Analytics, Reporting & Evaluation • Social Media • Database and Digital Marketing [ PHASE 1 ] CREATE INTEGRATED TBID MARKETING PLAN We believe one of the most important steps to any program is the immersion, research and discovery that takes place before all goals and objectives are approved. While creating the Visit Atascadero destination brand, we interviewed multiple stakeholders from lodging, retail, attractions and City Council. While this produced excellent, actionable material, we will augment this discovery with lodging executive interviews, geo- and demo- trending analysis of feeder markets, recent reservation trends and monthly RevPAR baselines. We have already reached out to Westar Properties to assess the needs of Marriott Springfield Suites within the Visit Atascadero strategic plans. APPROACH Whether you are driving the 101 on business, planning a Central Coast wedding, touring the wineries for the weekend, or seeking the right hub for the entire family to experience the variety of activities and attractions, the Heart of the Central Coast brand must demonstrate: [ A ] BRAND INTENTION As Visit Atascadero is a very new destination brand, it is important for the TBID’s marketing to be fully synchronized with the experience we want our destination to be known for. The first step in this process has been accomplished by the City’s investment to develop a unique value proposition, true benefits the City offers its core audiences and key message strategies.ASSIGNMENT[ B ] UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION • Atascadero is the Heart of the Central Coast. We offer our guests the ideal location for exploring the best the Central Coast has to offer • Atascadero is in the heart of two world-class wine AVA’s, including the 2014 Wine Enthusiast ’s Wine Region of the Year • Atascadero offers a great value to those who are seeking an extended stay in the region • Atascadero offers unique attributes: • A wonderful family friendly zoo • Faces of Freedom Memorial • Historic, restored City Hall • A large beautiful lake, parks and lake pavilion • Several meeting facilities for group travel including excellent hotel facilities and Lake Pavilion • A quaint, historic and developing downtown • Friendly people who appreciate visitors to the City • Rural lifestyle and agri-tourism • Opportunities for diverse active adventures • Opportunities to relax and recharge 1111 ASSIGNMENT[ C ] STIMULATE AWARENESS By integrating web/mobile/social with public relations and targeted digital advertising, the TBID will establish a unique leadership position with the City and an increasingly higher ROI. The awareness outreach plan will be focused on a strong call to action on our brand offerings and compelling offers to book a stay through VisitAtascadero.com and the participating members. [ D ] MAKE THE SALE! Through the TBID membership’s higher level of ability to interact, book and assess the reservation results of marketing, the marketing efforts will always direct to the reservation systems of the membership. In addition to always having compelling offers on VisitAtascadero.com, it will be important for the membership to track reservations and convey actionable performance metrics to continually optimize the outreach expense. Additionally, the publicity effort of MM/TJA will establish relationships with key membership based organizations that will promote the destination, lodging special offers and make reservations. We have already gained interest with MOAA, a membership of 400,000 military officers who want to promote the destination to the membership. This requires the lodging operators to provide very attractive offers to this membership. Ideal for shoulder season bookings. [ DELIVERABLES ] • Executive summary including an overview of findings of interviews • Inventory of current destination marketing activities assigned by City Manager • Marketing objectives and strategy • Digital content strategy • Unduplicated public relations activities • Unduplicated social media activities • Campaign promotional themes and schedules • Advertising placement plan, budget and schedule • Database marketing plan • Retargeting plan • Measurement and reporting plan Create integrated TBID Marketing Plan (continued) 1212 ASSIGNMENT[ PHASE 2 ] PLAN EXECUTION From the approved strategy MM/TJA will execute a plan that will continue to position Visit Atascadero as an attractive destination to visit, taste, stay, play, dine, recharge, hold weddings and do business. Primary geographic target markets are defined within a three to five hour drive time radius and include Southern California, Central Valley and Northern California. TASK MM/TJA will work closely with the TBID advisory board to integrate a membership-specific digital content and public relations marketing program that will drive incremental and repeat visitation to the membership through destination lodging promotions. Menta/TJA’s digital content marketing program will isolate your core target markets and deliver an aggressive, compelling reason to stay. APPROACH As hospitality inventory is increasing in the North County and Atascadero, the digital content marketing program will need to isolate our core target markets and deliver an aggressive, compelling reason to stay. The effort will capitalize on our benefits to core geographical areas, particularly Southern California, San Fernando Valley, San Diego, San Francisco, Monterey, San Jose, and the Central Valley. DIGITAL ADVERTISING APPROACH MM/TJA would lead in the research, strategy and placement of TBID media buys. Placement would be consistent with the goals as set forth within the marketing plan including targeted audiences and markets. It would include primarily online, paid social media and value-added, co-op broadcast. Collaboration with our partner entities such as VisitSanLuisObispoCounty.com, Visit California, Sunset, CCTC and Brand USA would be evaluated to leverage co-op. We provide complete digital capabilities for online/mobile advertising including strategy, ad placement, monitoring, optimization, and reporting. Search engine placement, retargeting, TripAdvisor, double-click, rich media ads and mobile click-to-call are a few platforms we may deploy. The campaigns are directly correlated to the goal and tracked accordingly by measuring leads, conversions, clicks and impressions. We monitor campaigns weekly to best optimize rates. Reports and analysis are provided each month. 1313 ASSIGNMENTMental/TJA’s effective public relations strategies deliver third-party endorsements and storytelling, which are extraordinarily important in generating interest and demand for a destination. pr shout out PUBLIC RELATIONS APPROACH Atascadero offers broad appeal in terms of attractions, experiences and events offered for leisure and family, wine travel, weddings, seasonal travelers, sustainable travel, agritourism, girlfriend getaways, animal lovers, coastal and outdoor adventure travelers. Public relations efforts will focus on securing travel features that benefit the City awareness from regional, short lead print and online publications, broadcast media and influential travel blogs. Over the past five years, we know of no firm that has delivered more earned media impressions for San Luis Obispo County tourism than Mental Marketing – literally billions of media impres sions! Effective public relations strategies deliver third-party endorsements and storytelling, which are extraordinarily important in generating interest and demand for a destination. Through our agency PR network, we will create more exposure through media channels showing an ongoing interest in the campaign topics as well as those covering special travel packages, allowing another avenue to build top of mind recognition for constituents throughout the TBID campaign. • Increase awareness of Atascadero as a visitor destination by highlighting all of its unique attractions, experiences and offerings • Invite journalists, and tour and travel planners, to the region • Increase visitation from California feeder markets • Drive incremental bookings through packages and special promotions offered by the City hotels and businesses • Build on current relationships and increase collaboration with tourism partners, i.e.: regional constituent groups, VCB, SLOWine, PasoWine, CCTC, CTTC, CBID, Cal Poly • Grow social media following on Facebook,Twitter, Pinterest by extending media stories • Coordinate with multi-destination journalist visits (TPRA, VCB, CBID, etc.) SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS Our team has proven success in social media management. With over 63,000 fans on the Pismo Beach Facebook added and 35,000 new fans for WineCoastCountry this year, we can easily grow the target market social community on the VisitAtascadero. com facebook presence. We currently provide only promotional set up and consulting for the City and with some resources, can boost the fan base and generate more lodging referrals. Social media will evolve to enhance relationships, garner valuable feedback, communicate messages and reinforce PR and marketing concepts as well as increase organic SEO. The fulfill- ment and media relations strategies mentioned above will be greatly enhanced by the social media components our MM/TJA team will provide. Phase II (continued) 14 ASSIGNMENTPROMOTIONS AND EVENTS We believe well-planned events can help increase business and room occupancy for the City. We recognize the City already has a strong list of events and our Wine Month Promotion is one example of how we integrate our efforts to make the Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival more than a one night event. Additionally, this year Mental/ TJA evolved the Wine Month promotion messaging to leverage a lengthier “Atascadero Festival Season” approach, extending the spring campaign into summer. Here are strategies that we would wish to organize with the TBID: • Directly support events resulting in more overnight stays and out of market media coverage. • Rather than simply supplying a dollar donation to an event, we believe it is much more effective to have the marketing firm place the ads with the approval of the board on behalf of the event or organization. This will ensure the dollars are spent wisely and support a lodging promotion centered on the event. We manage the dollars spent by the City and make sure the City gets strong Return on Investment. • Target interest groups via email in our target markets and invite them to attend the events that relate to their organization or interest. We suggest lodging packages be provided for each city calendar event. • Acquire specific, and when appropriate, ancillary potential client lists to appeal to event-specific candidates in the defined geographical areas. • Create event incentives specifically designed to entice those specific target market constituents to attend, generating (at least) a two-night stay. Phase II (continued) ADMINISTRATION AND CONSTITUENT OUTREACH Our content management system offers opportunities for member communication updates, we will evaluate and support: • Conference reports and meeting with City staff as needed to discuss progress of the marketing and PR efforts • Continual access for tourism stakeholder comment and suggestion postings • Access to account staff through phone calls on dedicated number • Ongoing email updates and informational requests will be sent to available members with email • Monthly e-newsletter sent to visitor database to keep up with visitor outreach and programs conducted by city. • An annual tourism promotions committee mixer for stakeholder strategic planning. 15 ATASCADERO TBID MARKETING PLAN Membership Assessment Situational Analysis Develop Objectives and Strategies Develop Media and Content Marketing Plan $3,000 Strategy & Account Management $12,000 Digital Media Buying Placement $40,000 Social Media Strategy and Management $5,000 Public Relations Journalist Hosting, Pitching and Reporting $5,000 Promotional Getaway Expenses $4,000 BUDGETINITIAL BUDGET Initial budget assumes agency hourly rate of $125 per hour. Assumes the City of Atascadero will continue to support the ongoing maintenance of VisitAtascadero.com and press release distribution expenses. Advertising commissions – for all media placed, agency is to receive the standard 15% commission. Mental/TJA will provide the Tourism BID Advisory Board PR and Marketing Group with timely, written marketing updates and personal reports monthly on past activities and continuation of plan.